Denis O’Sullivan and Darragh Dempsey eye All-Ireland final slot

Road Bowling.

Denis O’Sullivan and European youth champion Darragh Dempsey will clash in Friday’s Munster Junior B final at Togher Cross. The winner plays Ulster champion Aaron Hughes in next month’s All-Ireland final at Newtownhamilton.

O’Sullivan beat Peter Murray in the last shot of the Munster semi-final at Caheragh. He won the first two, but Murray edged the third shot to Lisangle cross. They both made mistakes with their next ones, with O’Sullivan regaining the lead. Murray then made the soccer pitch, which O’Sullivan beat by 45m with a great reply. Murray went over the bridge with his next one to clip O’Sullivan’s lead to two metres. He won the next exchange by 40m with another good bowl past Reenroe cross.

O’Sullivan regained the lead with his next one, as Murray delivered his reply to the right. He shaded the next two past Sheily’s farm and then got a big bowl to the novice line to push his lead to 60m. Murray misplayed his next one to the right to fall almost a bowl behind. O’Sullivan carried that advantage to the last shot. Murray played a huge last bowl past the line. O’Sullivan just missed the line, but easily beat Murray’s tip with his following throw.

Aaron Hughes beat Ronan Toal in the Ulster final. He gained control of the score following errors by Toal in the early exchanges. He extended his lead to two bowls with a massive bowl over the slate-quarry bridge. There was no way back for Toal after that. Hughes was an impressive All-Ireland Junior C winner last year and looks even better now.

Juliet Murphy and Denise Murphy will contest the Munster intermediate final in a North-Cork derby at Bweeng on Friday. Juliet Murphy bowled well in her semi-final win over Chloë O’Halloran at Baile Bhuirne. They were in close contention for the first five. Murphy then played a super shot past the wall, which put her almost a bowl clear. She consolidated that lead in the following shots. She delivered another super bowl from the island to take her lead to two bowls and held it to the line.

At Castletownkenneigh Denise Murphy opened with a sensational shot to raise a bowl of odds on Hannah Cronin in the other semi-final. She held that with her second, but Cronin raised her game in the next three to cut the lead to ten metres. She lost momentum again though and Murphy restored her bowl of odds after eight and held it to the line. The Munster winner will face Shannon Maguire in the All-Ireland final. Maguire was too strong for Geraldine Kiernan in the Ulster final at Newtownhamilton.

A massive last bowl secured Mark Burke his place in the Munster Veteran (Junior) final at the expense of Paul O’Brien in a gripping contest at Grenagh. He won the first three well, but O’Brien levelled with a great fourth shot. Burke got the better of things again in the next series of shots. O’Brien kept in touch though and won his first lead with his 12th shot. He then got the better of two great bowls toward Boula lane, but lost vital ground, the lead and ultimately perhaps the score with his next shot. The lead changed hands again in the next two to the cross. Burke won a good lead for the last shot. O’Brien played a brilliant bowl to just short of the line. Burke lined his reply perfectly and beat the line.

Noel Gould had a runaway win against Andrew O’Leary in the other semi-final at Ballinacurra. He easily beat O’Leary’s first bowl with a great throw. He went through Brinny cross and onto light at the church in three to go a bowl clear. He went close to the gas line in four to edge almost two clear. He raised the second bowl after two more to Perrott’s crush and he had close to three bowls at the GAA field.

In the Veteran (Novice) Munster semi-final at Béal na Bláth, Tony Murphy kept the Deise flag flying by beating John O’Brien in the last shot of a great score. That pits him against Tim Kelleher in the final at Ballinacurra tomorrow evening.